


of loyalty and brothers

by SilverSnowblossom



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Clone Troopers - Freeform, Drabble, Fives dies, Gen, characters other than rex and fives are just mentioned, i mean fives literally died in his arms, inhibitor chips, rex's thoughts about fives' death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:07:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24986554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverSnowblossom/pseuds/SilverSnowblossom
Summary: “Rex doesn’t know why Fives’ death hits him so hard. He’s seen more than his fair share of vod’e fall in battle after all, and he’s learned how to compartmentalize. He wouldn’t have lasted this long otherwise. But it's different, this time, because Fives didn't die in battle—it was one of their own who shot him.” Or: Rex's thoughts, after Fives’ death.
Relationships: CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & CT-7567 | Rex
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	of loyalty and brothers

**Author's Note:**

> I have never seen The Clone Wars or Star Wars even, yet here I am writing a fic for it. Oops. I fully blame meridianpony’s Dominoes—any and all knowledge I have of the Clone Wars is from what I looked up in the process of reading that fic. If you haven’t read it yet, you should definitely check it out; it's absolutely amazing. 
> 
> Well, here goes...

* * *

_**...** _

_**of loyalty and brothers** _

_**...** _

* * *

Rex doesn’t know why Fives’ death hits him so hard. He’s seen more than his fair share of _vod'e_ fall in battle after all, and he’s learned how to compartmentalize, how to live through the grief and hurt. It never gets better, it never _stops hurting_ … but he's learnt to push past it, to deal with it better. He wouldn’t have lasted this long otherwise.

But it's different, this time, because Fives didn't die in battle, didn't fall to clankers or the Seps. It was one of their own who shot him, and despite knowing that he was only doing his job, Rex doesn't think he'll ever be able to look Commander Fox in the eye again, not with the knowledge that he has the blood of one of his most trusted vod on his hands. ( _Why couldn't he just set his blaster to stun?_ some part of his mind wails. He tries to ignore the thought. He isn't sure he can tamp down the resentment if he doesn't.)

He can't forget. He can't forget Fives, pale and wide-eyed and terrified, lunging for a blaster and so, so scared of those who should've been his allies, who should've had his back.

He can't forget the soft whoosh of breath, Fives stumbling, a blaster bolt striking true, right over his heart. 

Fives died in his arms. He can’t forget that. 

What had Fives been trying to tell them? What had been going through his head right before his death?

Because Rex _knows_ Fives. He’s loyal, perhaps to a fault—to his brothers especially, for all that he has a rebellious streak and isn’t afraid to speak his mind (like during Umbara, for instance, and even now, those memories are tainted in _regret_ ). Fives wouldn’t have attacked the Chancellor for no reason, and he certainly isn’t an assassin. 

And more than that, Fives is a terrible liar. He _can’t_ lie, not even to save his life (and oh, the _irony_ in that). Rex trusts Fives, even if the General hadn’t. 

Fives hadn't been making any sense then, babbling, voice high and desperate. His words tumbled over each other, and he was clearly panicked, anxious and agitated and nervous. Rex doesn't remember Fives ever being that off-balance, emotions that out of control. Not since they lost Echo, anyway. 

Fives is one of the most experienced vod left in Torrent Company, outside of the himself and a few others. He's an ARC, trained to get through difficult situations, to adapt to the unexpected. What could have spooked him so badly?

Maybe the General’s right. Maybe Fives _had_ lost his mind. 

But Rex doesn’t think so.

 _Inhibitor chips_ , Fives had said. It sounds far-fetched, and Rex doesn’t blame General Skywalker for not believing Fives, especially with how crazy Fives had sounded. (Not to mention his General’s close bond with the Chancellor...)

But… Fives gave his life for this information. The least Rex can do is check it out, maybe have Kix do a brain scan. 

And if the conspiracy turns out to be true, well. 

He can worry about what he’s going to do later. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a quick drabble, really, but I figured I might as well post it. 
> 
> Hopefully everyone’s in character, haha; it’s my first time writing them. 
> 
> Also, I can’t come up with titles, like, at all, so, yeah. Uncreative titles are uncreative. 
> 
> Can someone check my mando'a? I'm not sure if the plural of vod is just vod, or if it's vod'e?
> 
> Anyway, feel free to leave any critiques and comments! Any feedback is welcome. 
> 
> ~ Silver


End file.
